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Implementation plan of the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program strategy—Northeast region of the United States: New York and New England
Complexly deformed igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks form the bedrock of the Northeast region of the United States. Variably thick unconsolidated sediments deposited by glacial, fluvial, and eolian systems locally cover the bedrock. New geologic mapping focuses on areas lacking modern, detailed studies or syntheses, and contributes to existing framework research. This report addresses pl
Authors
Gregory J. Walsh, Margaret A. Thomas, Robert G. Marvinney, Stephen B. Mabee, Frederick H. Chormann, Andrew Kozlowski, Marjorie H. Gale, Jon Kim, Brian Savage
The long shadow of a major disaster: Modeled dynamic impacts of the hypothetical HayWired earthquake on California’s economy
We develop and apply a dynamic economic simulation model to analyze the multi-regional impacts of, and mechanisms of recovery from, a major disaster, the HayWired scenario — a hypothetical Magnitude 7.0 earthquake affecting California’s San Francisco Bay Area. The model integrates loss pathways: capital stock damage, labor supply shocks due to short-term population displacement and longer-run out-
Authors
Ian Sue Wing, Adam Z Rose, Dan Wei, Anne Wein
Machine learning application to assess occurrence and saturations of methane hydrate in marine deposits offshore India
Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) were used to assess methane hydrate occurrence and saturation in marine sediments offshore India. The ANN analysis classifies the gas hydrate occurrence into three types: methane hydrate in pore space, methane hydrate in fractures, or no methane hydrate. Further, predicted saturation characterizes the volume of gas hydrate with respect to the available void volume.
Authors
Leebyn Chong, Timothy Collett, C. Gabriel Creason, Yongkoo Seol, E.M. Myshakin
Reimagining large river management using the Resist–Accept–Direct (RAD) framework in the Upper Mississippi River
BackgroundLarge-river decision-makers are charged with maintaining diverse ecosystem services through unprecedented social-ecological transformations as climate change and other global stressors intensify. The interconnected, dendritic habitats of rivers, which often demarcate jurisdictional boundaries, generate complex management challenges. Here, we explore how the Resist–Accept–Direct (RAD) fra
Authors
Nicole K. Ward, Abigail Lynch, Erik A. Beever, Joshua Booker, Kristen L. Bouska, Holly Susan Embke, John F. Kocik, Joshua Kocik, Mary Grace T. Lemon, David J. Lawrence, Douglas Limpinsel, Madeline Magee, Bryan M. Maitland, Owen P. McKenna, Andrew R. Meier, John M. Morton, Jeffrey Muehlbauer, Robert Newman, Devon C. Oliver, Heidi M. Rantala, Greg G. Sass, Aaron D. Shultz, Laura Thompson, Jennifer L. Wilkening
Effects of vehicle traffic on space use and road crossings of caribou in the Arctic
Assessing the effects of industrial development on wildlife is a key objective of managers and conservation practitioners. However, wildlife responses are often only investigated with respect to the footprint of infrastructure, even though human activity can strongly mediate development impacts. In Arctic Alaska, there is substantial interest in expanding energy development, raising concerns about
Authors
John P. Severson, Heather E. Johnson, Timothy C. Vosburgh
Spatial variation in density of American black bears in northern Yellowstone National Park
The quality and availability of resources are known to influence spatial patterns of animal density. In Yellowstone National Park, relationships between the availability of resources and the distribution of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) have been explored but have yet to be examined in American black bears (Ursus americanus). We conducted non-invasive genetic sampling during 2017–2018 (mid-May to m
Authors
Nathaniel R. Bowersock, Andrea R. Litt, Michael A. Sawaya, Kerry A. Gunther, Frank T. van Manen
How long do runoff-generated debris-flow hazards persist after wildfire?
Runoff-generated debris flows are a potentially destructive and deadly response to wildfire until sufficient vegetation and soil-hydraulic recovery have reduced susceptibility to the hazard. Elevated debris-flow susceptibility may persist for several years, but the controls on the timespan of the susceptible period are poorly understood. To evaluate the connection between vegetation recovery and d
Authors
Andrew Paul Graber, Matthew A. Thomas, Jason W. Kean
Monitoring sediment transport pathways from an artificial nearshore berm, South Padre Island, Texas, USA, August 2018 to November 2019: Implications for coastal management
During August 2018 – November 2019, the transport pathways of dredge material from a specially constructed nearshore feeder berm were investigated as part of a collaborative study by the City of South Padre Island, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers–Galveston District, U.S. Geological Survey, Partrac GeoMarine Inc., and Texas A&M University, into the efficacy of beneficial use dredge material (BUDM) as
Authors
Darwin Ockerman, Douglas James Schnoebelen, Jack Poleykett, Patrick L. Friend, Coraggio K. Maglio, Kristina Boburka
Predatory impacts of invasive Blue Catfish in an Atlantic coast estuary
ObjectivePredatory invasive fishes may consume species of management interest and alter food webs. Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus is a large-bodied, salinity-tolerant species that exhibits broad diet breadth and preys on species of both conservation concern and fisheries management interest. To better understand the ecological consequences of the establishment of Blue Catfish fisheries, estimates
Authors
Corbin David Hilling, Joseph Schmitt, Yan Jiao, Donald J. Orth
Interactions among rainfall, fire, forbs and non-native grasses predict occupancy dynamics for the endangered Pacific pocket mouse (Perognathus longimembris pacificus) in a Mediterranean-type ecosystem
It is important to understand species-habitat relationships to implement effective adaptive management for rare species. However, it can be challenging to assess habitat associations and their relationships to abiotic stressors in dynamic habitats without the insights that can be gained from long-term monitoring. We report results from the first six years of extensive track tube monitoring of the
Authors
Cheryl S. Brehme, Sarah Kay Thomsen, Devin T. Adsit-Morris, Robert N. Fisher
Sound and sturgeon: Bioacoustics and anthropogenic sound
Sturgeons are basal bony fishes, most species of which are considered threatened and/or endangered. Like all fishes, sturgeons use hearing to learn about their environment and perhaps communicate with conspecifics, as in mating. Thus, anything that impacts the ability of sturgeon to hear biologically important sounds could impact fitness and survival of individuals and populations. There is growin
Authors
Arthur N. Popper, Robin Calfee
One byte at a time: Gathering best practices, guidelines, and resources for data standards to support ocean exploration and characterization
Initiated through Presidential direction and now codified, the National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization (NOMEC) Council comprises leaders from U.S. federal agencies with a shared goal of mapping all waters of the United States and exploring and characterizing priority areas. The NOMEC Council’s two Interagency Working Groups, Ocean and Coastal Mapping (IWG-OCM) and Ocean Explorati
Authors
Kasey Cantwell, Amanda Demopoulos, Mitchell G. Hebner, Rachel Medley, Mark Mueller, Amanda N. Netburn